Does Socrates defend himself well against the charge of corrupting the youth?

The Apology was written by Plato, and relates Socrates’ defense at his trial on charges of corrupting the youth and impiety. Socrates argues that he is innocent of both charges. His defense is ultimately unsuccessful, and he is convicted and sentenced to death.

What style of argument does Socrates use against Meletus charges against Socrates?

Socratic irony can be seen again in the argument to prove to Meletus that if Socrates had corrupted the youth it must have been done involuntarily and for that reason ought not to be punished. The reason given is that no one would voluntarily do harm to the people among whom he would have to live.

What happened to Socrates after he was accused of corrupting the youth?

Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and sentenced to death. Choosing not to flee, he spent his final days in the company of his friends before drinking the executioner’s cup of poisonous hemlock.

How does Socrates corrupt the youth in the apology?

Plato’s The Apology is an account of the speech Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, inventing new deities, and corrupting the youth of Athens.

Was Socrates defense convincing?

The fact that the jury finds him guilty on a relatively close vote of 280 to220 indicates that Socrates’ defense, though not successful, is quite convincing….Success of Socrates’ Defense Essay.

Reading time	4 min
Death	399 BC
Cause of death	Execution by forced suicide by poisoning
Era	Ancient Greek philosophy

Why does Meletus contradict himself?

{ 4 } – Showing that Meletus contradicts himself. The contradiction is that in saying that Socrates does not believe in the gods at all (26c), Meletus is contradicting his official charge that Socrates believes in new divinities (26b). The “new divinities” refers to Socrates’ divine sign from god (See 31c).

How did Socrates affect the youth?

But Socrates didn’t corrupt the young; he empowered the young. He empowered them to think for themselves, to question received wisdom, and not to be cowed by authority. But it’s more dangerous to those who claim to be authorities than to the young themselves, I would think.

What was Socrates goal in the apology?

Socrates’s goal in Plato’s Apology was never to defend himself, but to continue doing his life’s work of exposing falsehood in others. Socrates does this by asking questions. The purpose of a questions is usually a quest for knowledge.

What was Socrates goal in apology?

Socrates’s goal in Plato’s Apology was never to defend himself, but to continue doing his life’s work of exposing falsehood in others. Socrates does this by asking questions.

How does Socrates distance himself from the Sophists?

Socrates also wants to distance himself from the Sophists—people who went around taking money to teach people rhetoric or the art of persuasion. Socrates claims to not have the kind of knowledge that the Sophists profess to have and points out that he does not take money to teach anyone anything.

Why was Socrates put on trial in the apology?

In The Apology, Socrates is put on trial for supposedly corrupting the youth of Athens and for not believing in the gods. The charges were brought against Socrates because by Meletus. While on trial, Socrates defends himself very well against the allegations that were brought amongst him.

What did Meletus accuse Socrates of in his apology?

In the Apology, Meletus accused Socrates of failure to believe in the Athenian gods and introducing other supernatural gods (Helm, 1997, p.56). In his defense, Socrates claimed that the charges were motivated by slander and hatred by his accusers.

How does Socrates defend himself against the charges brought against him?

Summary. Socrates reminds the court that they accuse him of corrupting the minds of the young and of believing in supernatural phenomena of his own invention rather than in the gods of the state. In order to defend himself against these charges, Socrates calls on Meletus, his principal accuser, and interrogates him in the familiar form…

Did Socrates corrupt the youths by his teachings?

In the Apology, Socrates admitted that he taught people about various issues that were considered controversial (Apology 3a). It was evident from Plato’s description of the effect of dialectical training that Socrates corrupted the youths by his teachings.